Never the Same Again
by searching-soal
Summary: A young girls best friend is kidnapped from her town one evening never to be seen alive again. Her death slowly rippes her friend apart untill she commits suicide. Thankfully saved, she feels she is going insane and is never the same again.


Never the Same Again  
***Part One***  
My best friend Cloe and I have been friends since 1st grade, we met when I came to Ohio all the way from California. I came here during the winter and I was trying to adjust to the extreamly cold weather. Our teacher Mrs. Barton assigned Cloe to show me around the school and help me get used to the new changes, that is how we became best friends.  
We are now going into High School and we have changed a lot. We look back and laugh, all the times we were there for each other and all the funny things that have happened to us over the years. Our first boyfriends, our first day of middle school, and even our first real concert. We went through everything together. I have known her the longest out of any of my other friends. I like her a lot, she's not rich or poor she's just normal I guess. In seventh grade she was voted most popular, she has competed in beauty contests and even won some. That's not why I like her though, she is my best friend because she likes me for who I am, she understands me, and she helps me when I need it.  
Cloe and I listen to the same music, have the same taste in cloths, like the same guys, and we like the same movies. Cloe has light brown hair with slight glimmering streaks of blond, she has beautiful clear blue eyes, sparkling white teeth and skin as clear as an untouched pond. She is the most beautiful person I know. I have blond hair with light brown tips, my eyes are a very pale shade of green and I have a retainer. Cloe say's I should compete in some beauty contests with her, she says I could win if I really try. She believes in me a lot and I like that. Not to long ago me and my boyfriend of six months had broke up because he had found another girl and he up and left me. Cloe came over right away to help me through this. I cried on her shoulder for minuets until I felt better. She talked to me the whole time and tried to calm me down, I realized she really care's.   
Our parents had arranged for us to be in the same classes almost every year. We both had made other friends but we were still as close as ever.  
Cloe and I live and different ends of our small town, Bellsworth. We meet at the square almost every day on the stage. One cool crisp fall Friday I went to meet Cloe there, I grabbed my jacket and left. My parents had left for there 2 week vacation that morning and I was still a little bit on edge as this was my first time alone for a long period of time. I knew that I had forgotten to lock the front door so I went back, grabbed the keys off the counter and stopped, I decided to grab my moms cell phone that she left for me in case of emergency, I had a feeling I would need it. After that I left, locking the door behind me. As I walked down our front steps I felt a cold chill and I was glad I had brought my jacket. I walked down the sidewalk like always. As I turned the corner I saw two men standing there smoking cigarettes. As I walked by them I choked on all the smoke filling the air, it was horrible. I finally got passed them and I could breath again. When I reached the square I didn't see Cloe there, she's never late, I wondered where she was. Maybe she had to stop at the store or something, I decided to wait a little longer. 20 minuet's went by so I called her house to see what was wrong. Her mom answered the phone, I asked her if Cloe was there and she said no. My mind raced, where was she, what's taking her so long, could something have happened to her? Her mother said she left a while ago and should have been there by now, I was scared. I asked her mother if she knew anything that could be taking her so long and she replied again, no. We talked for another 10 minutes and there was no sign of Cloe anywhere. Then I saw it, Cloe's favorite hair burette, she never went anywhere without it, why was it laying on the floor of the stage? I gave her mother the information, she began to cry, I didn't understand what was happening.  
  
***Part Two***   
  
Cloe's mother offered to drive me home, I took her up on the offer. As I walked to the car I smelled the faint smell of a burning cigarette. When we reached my house I got out of the car and began to walk to the front door, only until I was stopped by Cloe's mother, she wanted to talk to me. She told me how Cloe was a miracle child, she was the only surviving child. Her mother and father tried to have children 5 times before Cloe's birth. After the fifth time the doctors told them that there is a very slim chance of producing a child. They wanted to have a little baby to care for, love and protect, now they were never to have that dream. One day they found out that they were going to have a child after all. Joy filled there hearts quickly, they truly believed that a miracle had happened to them. On the day Cloe was born there were slight complications. Cloe was diagnosed with a flu like sickness that put's many infants to death. Her parents Joy quickly changed to sorrow knowing there only baby may die. For two weeks her parents watched and waited for anything to happen, finally Cloe's parents received good news. there daughter was going to live after all. They were extreamly happy, the doctors said that Cloe will become sick very easy for the next six months and her parents would have to keep close watch. They were over joyed the day cloe was able to go home. She has been fine ever since then. Her parents loved her and let her know it, she loved them just as much. Her mother began to tell me about Cloe's life that I didn't know about. A whole new person was appearing before my eyes. I never knew she was a miracle child and she was almost killed by a disease at birth, I never knew cloe had a miserable life until I came around. Her mother told me how special I was and that I mean a lot to Cloe. I was her best friend and that I should never change for anyone, not anyone. I didn't understand it all at first.  
Cloe's mother got up to leave, I stopped her this time. I thanked her for showing me how special I was and how much of an impact I had on Cloe's life. She just smiled and said she was going to call the police when she got home. When I got into the house it hit me, Cloe was gone, kidnaped, alone with a stranger who knows where. I began to cry now, if I hadn't forgot to lock the door I would have been there to help her, maybe even save her life. I pictured her in a dark room crying calling for help, hoping someone would hear her cry's. I couldn't get the picture out of my head, my worst nightmares were all becoming real right before my eyes. That night I called my parents to tell them what happened, we talked for two hour's. They asked if they should come home, I didn't want to ruin there vacation so I just said no, even though I wanted to be in there arms again. I told them I was fine, the kind of fine that really mean im horrible I just don't want you to know. I needed someone to help me through the hard times I was having. That is what Cloe did for me but now she was gone and no one could help me through it, I was alone.  
A few days went by and I got the worst news of my life. The police found a young girls body in an abandoned house one town away. They needed Cloe's mother to go identify her daughter. She called me to go with her because she would need some support and she thought it would be good for me to go. It was not a long drive but it seemed to take forever. When we finally reached the morgue I didn't want to go in but I made myself go anyway. As they opened the drawer the body was in I held my breath, hoping to find someone but my best friend in there. Then I saw her, Cloe Marshall my best friend in the morgue, with the coldest look on her face, the face of death. I don't exactly remember what happened after that all I remember is getting into the car with Cloe's mom. I was in pieces, I was dizzy and I was hyperventilating. I wanted to die, I wanted it to be me in that drawer in the morgue, why did someone take such a beautiful, young, innocent girl and kill her for no reason? Why? I had a lot of questions I wanted answered but no one could answer them. Cloe was investigated to find the cause of her death. The police said she was in a struggle and was then given a sleep drug to calm her down. They said she was given to high of an amount and had overdose. They said that there was a clue you couldn't see. Her cloths smelled like smoke, like from a cigarette. I was called in for investigation, I was nervous. They asked me if I saw anything unusual that made me think she was kidnaped, if I knew anything about her that would make her a target. I answered all the questions truthful. I wanted to find whoever did this to my best friend and lock them up forever!   
two days later was the start of high school. Cloe and I had bought matching outfits for the first day of school, now only I could be seen with it. I started the year off all right, I was still getting good grades, I made the basketball team, I even made some new friends. Then there was the funeral, I completely fell apart after that. I couldn't get the picture of my best friends body in the casket out of my head. She was wearing the mini skirt and halter top the we bought to wear on the first day of school. I was wearing the same outfit. It was the saddest day of my life. Why was death created, it leaves people empty and sad. Death leaves a hole in you that you can't fill, a hole so deep and dark you can get lost. Lost in emotions of lonlyness and sadness. Death will drag you under its spell, it will strangle the last bit of strength you have, until you break down, then you realize that the one you loved and cared for is not with you anymore and there not coming back. Why would anyone want to give someone so much pain and sadness?   
Cloe's family wanted me to give a speech, I really didn't no what to say so I began telling how we met. I told everyone about our dreams of the future. The dreams only I could achieve now. I talked about how we wanted to go to collage, get married, our dreams of having children and growing old living and telling all of our old stories over and over on the phone and staying friends forever. We will still be friends forever and we will meet again someday, she will always be a big part of my life. All of this death and sadness was ripping me apart inside, I wanted to break. I wanted this nightmare to end I wanted to wake up and call Cloe and make sure this wasn't real, but it was it was all a big nightmare and the worst thing was, I couldn't wake up because this was real. After the funeral my parents took me to the ballet, a place where I often went to get my mind off of school and life. This wasn't going to make me forget, Cloe's death was carved into my brain forever, nothing would make me forget the horrible time when I found out my best friend was dead and never coming back. While we were at the ballet I stared at the dancers their legs and arms in perfect formation, dancing on and on like there was no end. The music kept playing and playing over and over. I don't know why but it seemed that night never ended, I still hear the music playing in my head over and over like a broken record, it wouldn't stop. When I was sleeping or awake it just played and played. I was getting headaches everyday. I couldn't get the song out of my head. I went to see a psychologist, the one that has helped me though the death. She told me there was nothing to do but wait till the visions were out of my head. She told me to try to clear my mind with meditating. I tried everything. Finally I decided to end this once and for all. I don't know what I was thinking but I got a razor blade and my moms pain killers. I sat in my room, the darkness made it even better. I took the razor blade and stood up, I quickly slashed my right wrist, blood shot out of my arm, I felt faint, my legs went limp, I fell against the wall. I was spinning, everything around me was spinning round and round, it wouldn't stop. Then everything went black. the next thing I knew I was in the hospital, there were all these tubes and wires attached to me, I panicked, the doctors and nurses held me down. I flung my arms and legs around like a mad man, then I saw her, Cloe, standing at the foot of my bed saying something, something I couldn't understand, it sounded like follow me. "Im not ready to die Cloe im not ready!" I screamed. Then she disappeared, was she calling me, telling me to join her in her new life, the life after death? I sat in my hospital bed staring at the ceiling thinking, could there really be a life after death? Why did Cloe come back to me?  
  
***Part 3***   
  
Two days later I got out of the hospital. I was not happy but not suicidal. My parents were very worried about me. They never thought I would try something like that, neither did I. Did Cloe make me do that? did she miss me so bad she wanted to take me from earth so I could be with her forever? I wondered, I just sat and though about everything. Cloe was calling me from the clouds, I was memorized by the light shining down, I call to her, "Cloe im coming!" then I woke up. It was all a dream. Cold beads of sweat ran down my face, I didn't even know I had fallen asleep. The next day the police called my house saying they wanted me in for investigation again. They told me I was a suspect. "What!" I exclaimed "Im sorry miss but everyone is a suspect, including you." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. me, a suspect, they thought I killed my best friend? I was in all sorts the rest of the day. A week later I went in for investigation. They read me my rights. They read off the list of suspects. Cloe's father was one of them. "Cloe hasn't seen her father since she was 3, why is he a suspect?" I questioned. "Although they have not been in close contact they knew quite a bit about each other. He knew all about her even though he was not able to see her." I was full of questions but I was afraid so ask anymore. I was told to tell me everything I know about Cloe. I told the story of Cloe's life until I came around. Why her father was not given visitation rights and even her personal life. The police said they needed everything I know and that's what they got. The Police men then all disappeared into a small room. I could see them staring at me from a small window. What did they want? what was happening? Then I saw her Cloe was walking down the hall of the police station. I ran to the door as fast as I could calling her name. "Cloe, Cloe look its me Cloe your not..." I stopped mid sentence. What am I doing I thought Cloe is dead, she is, and I cant do anything about it. The girl then turned around, she was not Cloe, she was a stranger, a stranger that had made me think of Cloe on more painful time. "WHY!" I screamed "Why is she doing this to me, what does she want from me, Cloe im not like you anymore and I cant be with you!" The police rushed in returning me to the chair. "What happened miss?" the police man asked "I...I...umm...I don't know." I think it was the heat and all the questions that made me faint. I wasn't to sure of myself after that. Was I crazy? Everywhere I looked I thought I saw Cloe but they we strangers all strangers. What was happening with me. I wanted to find out and now! I talked to my parents and they wanted to send me to someone who could help. They were trying but I knew it wouldn't work. It seemed Cloe was running my life, she was more powerful in death than in life. I couldn't control my emotions I cried uncontrollably I would stare at the wall for hours I was a wreck. I didn't know if I could go on, if I could ever live a normal life again... 


End file.
